Electric circuit controller



' Deg. 3, 1929. w, s s L 1,737,649

ELECTRIC CIRCUIT CONTROLLER Filed April 26, 1925 Pans 'Dec.13, 1929 UNITED STATES.

ATENT [OFFICE WILLIAJYL EDSALL, OF READING, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGFI'OR, BY MESH]? ABSIGN- V MENTS, TO CONDIT ELECTRICAL MANUFACTURING CORPORATION, OF BOSTON,

MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS I nnncrnrc crncurr commoner.

Application am A ril as,

, w caused to open upon over-load, it is or may 1 be desirable to reclose the switch automatlcally and'within a short time after it has opened in order to maintain continuity of to service. If the abnormal condition still ex ists in the system, the switch may be again opened. It is desirable to reclose the switch a number of times as, for instance, three or four times and if the abnormal conditionv is v only temporary, it may disappear prior to one of the switch-reclosing operations, and the switch, whenreclosed will remain closed. If, however, after the switchhas been automatically reclosed a certain number of times and still trips open, it is evident that the abnormal condition is more or less permanentand it is thereupon desired to maintain the switch open.

This invention hasfor itsobject the rovision. of a relay, termed a notching or counting relay, which is arranged to controlathe number of times that the switch may be reclosed, and to finally disconnect the switch from the automatic reclosing devices until an operative manually reconditions the system for further automatic reclosing- Briefly-the invention comprises a hydraulic relay having a notching piston and cylinder which are in fluid communication with a sec- 0nd or actuating piston and cylinder, and

said latter piston is arranged to be electrically operated each time the switch is opened. The actuatingpistonis adapted to force a suitable fluid into the notching cylinder and 5thereby move the notching piston outwardly. The arrangement is or may be such that, .when the actuating piston has-been operated a predetermined number of times, suflicient fluid willhave been forced into the notching cylinder to move thenotching piston into a was. Sex-19.1130. 884,590.

, a suflicient number of times, yet if sai actuating piston has operated repeatedly but with relative long intervals between successive operations, the fluid will leak out of the notch- 111g cylinder between the operations and consequently, the notching piston will not be moved a sufiicient distance to effectively con trol the controlling circuit.

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a notching relay embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a an view of Fig. 1 with the notching cylin er removed.

Fig. 3 is a section along line3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail illustrating the relative position of the relay contacts and the notching piston in an operated position thereof.

Fig. 5 is a sectionaldetail illustrating a modified construction of relay.

As here shown,-the notching relay embodying the invention'includes a casing 10 which may be formed of bakelite or other suitable material. Said casing may have a lower cylinder portion 11 about which a solenoid winding 12 may be disposed and in which a core or plunger 13 may be movably received. Said casing may have an enlarged upper portion 14 which is adapted to-form th'e pump or actuatingcylinder of the relay. An actuating piston 15 is movably disposed within said cylinder and is or may be connected with said plunger 13 by means of the rod 16 whereby, when said plunger 13 is moved upwardly, said piston 15 will also be moved upwardly. The upper portion of said cylinder 14 may be externally screw-threaded and a cover 17, which may comprise a cylinder head, is or may be screw-threaded on said cylinder. Said cover 17 is or may be formed with a neck 18 which extends above said cover; and a notchingcylinder 19 may be screw-threaded thereon. Said notching cylinder may be closed at it supper end by the integrallywithin sai as by which communication -formedend wall or other suitable means.

piston 21 is or may be received cylinder and the piston rod 22 'thereof may extend upward and slidably A notching through an aperture in the end wall 20 of said cylinder. A stationary contact member 23 of .the circuit-controller of the relay may be carried by a suitable supporting frame 24 in a position above the notching cylinder,

1 and a' movable contact member 25 may co- 0 rate with said fixed contact member.

aid movable contact member may be actuated by any suitable means such as links 26 which are connected to form toggle members.

I A spring 27 may be connected with said frame 24 and the toggle and may be arranged to hold the contact members closed when in the position illustrated in Fig. 1. Said s ring is also arranged to forcibly separate sai contact members when the toggle is tripped or moved beyond off-center position, whereby to a move said contact members and the toggle members into some such circuit-open position v as illustrated in Fi 4. Suitable means may be provided to e ect the resetting of the switch after it has been effectively operated. For convenience, manual resetting means is herein illustrated and said means may compgise a manual resetting button 28 which may so disposed above said toggle members and may serve, when depressed, to reset the toggle members and close the switch.

The neck 18 of saidcylinder cover 17 is or may be formed with a assage 30 therein tween the upper end of the actuating cylinder 14 and the notching cylinder 19 is or may be established. A valve 31 may be disposed within said notching'cylinder above sald passage 30 and serve cylinder into the pump cylinder.

The piston 15 1s or may be provided with valves 35 thereinwhich may serve to admit oil from the space .beneath said piston, if oil leaks past the piston, although if the piston is maintained in .oil tight engagement with the cylinder said valves may not be necessary. he actuating cylinder 14, in the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 1, is adapted to be of-sub- 66 stantially greater diameter than the diameter to admit a suitable fluid as oil into the notch-' the rate of escape of oil rom the notching 30 connectin said cylinders, the contents of the pump cy inder are not transferred completely into the notching cylinder at the first momentary operatin impulse thereof. If

there are a number 0 operating impulses in close sequence, the pum piston 15 will be correspondingly actuate and at each opera-. tion force a certain amount of oil or other suitable fluid into the notching cylinder. When the pump piston has been actuated rapidly a successive and predetermined number of times, determined b the relative volumes of the pump and note ing cylinders, a sufficient quantity of oil will have been introduced into the notching c linder to raise the notching piston u wardly a suflicient distance to engage an trip the circuit-controller. If, however, the time period between im pulses is relatively long, oil which has been moved into the notching cylinder during one impulse will have had an opportunity to escape from the notching cylinder through the leak passage 33 and the notching piston will descend so that upon the next operating impulse, the notching iston must be again raised over substantia y the distance it was raised on the previous impulse. Therefore, if the time eriod between the 0 rating impulses of t e pump piston 15 1S relatively long, the notching piston will not be raised a suflicient amount to trip the circuit-controller and for the reason that the fluid will leak back into thepum piston between each successive impulse. I however, the time period between impulses is sufficiently short, then oil will be forced into the notchlng cylinder at a greater rate than it can escape therefrom and, after a predetermined number of impulses, the notching iston will be moved upwardly a suflicient istance to trip the circuit-controller. The number of impulses necessary to effectively actuate the notching piston may be governed by the adjusting screws 32 and 34. p a

Fig. 5 illustrates a modified form of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1, the princi al modification being a fluid reservoir 40 isposed about the pump cylinder and having communication with the lower end thereof throu h the check valve 41. The notching cylincfiarin this modification is or may be arranged to leak through the leak passage 33 into the reservoirrather than directly into the pump cylinder as illustrated in Fig. 1.

\With this arrangement, the actuating cylin- 40. The dimensions of the actuating and spirit of the invention. Y

notching pistons in this instance are or may be so proportioned that a desirable number of successive operations may take lace withouteflectively actuating the notc ing cylinder.

The upper end of the piston rod 22 of the notching piston may be screw-threaded and an adjustable extension member 45 may be screw-threaded thereon and locked in adjusted position by suitable means as the checknut 46. Said member is adapted, by suitable adjustment thereof along the length of the piston rod 22-, to control the number of successive impulses necessary to actuate the circuit controller.

The structure herein shown maybe other wise modified without departing from the I claim: 7

1. An electric circuit controller having a circuit-controlling member arranged normally to remain in one position until operated, an operating member for said circ'uit-controL ling member having provision for successive step by step movementsin the same ,direction to gain control of and operate said circuit controlling member, an actuating member for said operating member, and fluid-means connecting said operating and" actuating members arranged to require the rapidly repeated operation of said. actuating member'for one effective operation of said operating member to control said circuit-controlling member.

2. An electric circuit-controller comprising a circuit-controlling member, two intercommunicating' cylinders adapted: to contain a fluid, an operating piston for said circuit-controlling member disposed in one of said cylin-- ders, an actuating piston. disposed in said other cylinder an'd'arranged to act upon said circuit-controlling rpiston throu h the fluid contained in said cylinders, an means arranged to prov de fOISllCCGSSlVB operations of said actuating piston to' efiec t the movement of said circuit-controlling piston into effective circuit-controlling position and includ ing means to return fluid tothe cylinder of the actuating piston from the cylinder of the circuit-controlling,piston;

3. An electric circuit-controller having a circuit-controlling member adapted normally to remain in; closed-circuit position, means to hold'it in open-circuit position when operated, and operating-means for said circuit-controlling member comprising, two I intercommunieating cylinders adapted; to-contain a fluid, an operating piston for said circuit-controlling member dlsposed inone of said cylinders, an actuating piston disposed in said other cylinder and arranged to act. upon said opersaid cylinders, and means arranged to provide for successive operations of said actuating piston within a predetermined time period to eliect the effective circuit-controlling movement of said operating piston including means to return fluid to the cylinder of said actuating piston.

4. An electric circuit-controller having a circuit-controlling member adapted normally to remain in closed-circuit position, means to hold it in open-circuit position when operated, and operating means for said circuitcontrolling member comprising an actuating cylinder and piston, an operating cylinder and piston for said circuit-controlling member governed by said actuating cylinder and piston, means providing fluid communication in both directions between said cylinders, and means governing such fluid communication arranged to provide for a plurality of repeated operations of saidactuating piston within a predetermined time period for eflective actuation of said operating piston to operate said circuit-controlling member.

5. An electric circuit-controller having a circuit-controlling member, and operating means for said member comprising an operatvat each stroke of said actuating piston, and .means to withdraw fluid from said circuitcontrolling cylinder.

6.7 A counting relay having a normally closed circuit-controller, and trippingmeans therefor including acircuit-controlling cylinder andpiston, an actuating cylinder and plston arranged to control said circuit conconstructed and arranged to require a plural- 1ty of operations of said actuating piston to leak passage leading from said circuit-controlling cylinder. 1

7. A counting relay having a normally closed circuit-controller, wand tripping means therefor including a circuit-controlling cylintherefor including a circuit-controlling cylininder and piston, an electric circuit-controller arranged to be operated by said piston,

trolling piston, said-cylinders and pistons so no i? fill said circuit-controlling cylinder, and a an actuating cylinder and piston arranged to force fluid into said circuit-controlling cylinder to move the piston thereof to o erate said controller, means to establish flui communication betwen said cylinders, means to regulate the flow of fluid from said actuating to said circuit-controlling cylinder, meansto provide for a flow offluid from said circuitcontrolling cylinder, and means to govern m such fluid flow.

9. A counting relay having a normally closed circuit-controller, and tripping means therefor including acircuit-c'ontrolling cylinder and piston, an electric switch having a movable member arranged to be operated by said piston, said piston having anadjustable member thereon arranged to be adjusted toward and away from the movable switch member, an actuating cylinder and piston arranged to force fluid into said circuit-controlling cylinder to move the piston thereof and operate the switch, means to establish fluid communication between said cylinders, means to regulate the flow of fluid from said actuating to said circuit-controlling cylinders, means to provide for a flow of fluid from said circuit-controlling cylinder, and means to govern such fluid flow. 10. Acountingrelayincludinga circuit con- ;otroller arranged normally to remain in one condition until operated, an actuating member therefor adapted repeatedly to operate in an attempt to operate said circuit-controller, and fluid-governed means interposed be- 36 tween saidcircuit-controller and said actuating member having provision for eflecting the operation of said circuit-controller only after a predetermined number of attempts by said actuating member within a predeter- 40 \mined period of time. 4

In testimony whereof, I havesigned my name to this specification.

I WILLIAM S. EDSALL. 

